Co-Founder

Jean Flemma is an expert in ocean policy and the politics of achieving policy change.

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She is an advisor for nonprofits and foundations on matters of ocean and climate policy, the Director of the Ocean Defense Initiative, and a co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab. She spent two decades advising members of the United States Congress on the conservation and sustainable management of our nation’s ocean and other natural resources. In addition to her congressional work, Jean also served as the Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network where she now serves on the board. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Elakha Alliance and the Endangered Species Coalition. She began her career in public policy on Capitol Hill as a Sea Grant Fellow from the University of Washington where she got her Master’s degree in Marine Policy. She has an undergraduate degree in economics from Middlebury College.

Co-Founder

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a scientist, policy expert, writer, and teacher working to help create the best possible climate future.

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She co-founded and leads Urban Ocean Lab, and is the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College. Ayana authored the forthcoming book, What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures, co-edited the bestselling anthology All We Can Save, co-created and co-hosted the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet, and co-authored a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. She earned a BA in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She serves on the board of directors for Patagonia and GreenWave, and on the advisory board of Environmental Voter Project. Above all: Ayana is in love with climate solutions.

Managing Director

Daphne is an urban planner and climate policymaker whose work spans environmental justice, community resilience, and design.

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She served as a Deputy Director at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, leading initiatives on extreme heat mitigation, social infrastructure, and open space access, and has held roles at the NYC Department of City Planning and FEMA, working on post–Hurricane Sandy recovery and neighborhood planning.

Most recently, she has worked as an independent consultant, partnering with cities and nonprofits on climate programs. She was also an inaugural Moynihan Public Scholar at The City College of New York, where her research, teaching, and writing explored how science fiction can inspire more imaginative and inclusive approaches to urban planning and policy.

Her civic and cultural work includes co-founding and serving on the board of BlackSpace, a collective of Black urbanists dedicated to protecting and creating spaces that celebrate Black culture and joy in the built environment; serving on the board of the Center for Zero Waste Design; and advising the Octavia Project, a summer program that empowers young women, trans, and nonbinary youth to imagine and build more just futures through science fiction and design.

A Brooklyn native with Haitian roots, Daphne is an avid cyclist, writer, self-taught garment maker, and believer in the power of imagination to shape better cities.

Chief of Staff

Ella is a climate policy leader committed to cross-sector coordination, partner engagement, and capacity building to advance climate resilience and environmental justice.

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She served as an Advisor to the Deputy Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where she led policy initiatives at the intersection of climate resilience, equity, and service delivery, and has held roles at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. 

Most recently, she worked as a Policy Advisor in NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, advancing actionable and accessible climate tools, training, and data for our nation’s coastal communities; and on the leadership team of NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System, focused on building an inclusive staff culture, communicating the value of ocean data and observations, and strategic planning under uncertainty.  

She got her start in Silicon Valley at Sunnyvale Community Services, leading a program to provide free testing, food, and health education to underserved residents at risk of diabetes. She also spent three years at Earthjustice in donor stewardship and event planning. Ella is an avid hiker and baker with deep roots in the California Bay Area and her Chinese and Jewish heritage. She believes in the power of community to build effective, equitable climate solutions.

Policy Lead

Kaitlin is a climate policy researcher and practitioner committed to equitable urban climate adaptation, collaborative governance, and translating research into tools and frameworks that coastal cities can use.

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She has worked across local government, nonprofit, and applied research roles spanning the San Francisco Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. 

Most recent, she served as Climate Preparedness Coordinator at King County's Executive Climate Office, where she worked on sea level rise adaptation strategies, wildfire preparedness, and community resilience initiatives. Before that, she partnered with cities and non-profits across California on climate and environmental justice policy through consulting work with CivcMakers and Potrero Group, and held planning and policy roles at the San Francisco Parks Alliance. 

Kaitlin holds a PhD in Science, Technology, and Culture from the Open University of Catalunya, where she worked along cities and communities to produce research on urban climate adaptation and collaborative governance. Kaitlin is committed to the idea that rigorous research and practical implementation go and in hand and that participatory approaches to climate policy can facilitate equitable and innovative climate action. Outside of work, she can be found hiking, at the beach, making art, or teaching yoga on the weekends. 

Design and Research Associate

Mimi is an environmental planner passionate about the intersection of design and climate planning solutions.

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They earned an M.S. in City and Regional Planning, specializing in Land Use and Environmental Planning, from the University of Pennsylvania's Weitzman School of Design, and a B.A. in Growth and Structure of Cities from Haverford College. Mimi's graduate research focused on how drinking water suppliers in the US Mid-Atlantic and Southeast are adapting to climate impacts, especially saltwater intrusion from rising sea levels. They also collaborated with the UN's Least Developed Countries Expert Group to develop a technical supplement for National Adaptation Plans, which aimed to build resilience in urban drinking water systems.

Mimi is committed to integrating climate solutions into people's everyday lives. Before research, they worked on community-supported farms and fisheries in Philadelphia, promoting sustainable local food networks. Grounded in their Thai and Vietnamese ancestry and Alabama roots, Mimi is dedicated to advancing accessible, equitable, and just climate solutions.

Analyst

Jenisha Shrestha is the Chief of Staff to Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, and also serves as the Project Manager for the Ocean Justice Forum.

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Growing up in Kathmandu, Nepal, fueled her passion for sustainable development to develop policies for progress that promote living and working in harmony with the natural systems. Her multidisciplinary experience and expertise lies in scientific research, climate policy, sustainability management and economic development. Prior to joining Urban Ocean Lab as a Fellow, she was the Community Development Director at PermaCityLife, where she assisted in catalyzing a downtown revitalization in a former mill city—Franklin, NH.

She has also served as Colby-Sawyer College’s first Sustainability Assistant to support the implementation of their climate action plan, and co-created the Sustainable Learning Initiative at Franklin Falls, an experiential learning opportunity for students. She was also a part of a collaborative research studying the transport of methylmercury from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems in the tributaries of Lake Sunapee, NH.

Jenisha holds an MPA in environmental science and policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and a BS in environmental studies from Colby-Sawyer College, where she also received the Baccalaureate Award for Excellence.